Experts sound alarm as price of everyday cooking staple soars over 300% in just 1 year: 'We request the government to take urgent actions'

In India, coconut production dropped by up to 40% over the last couple of years, according to farmers, and this has sent prices skyrocketing for everyday consumers. 

What's happening?

Demand is up and supply is down for coconuts in India. And as a result, prices for coconut oil have sharply risen by about 300% over the last year, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

A monthslong heat wave in mid-2024 and pest problems negatively impacted coconut trees in the country and slowed production, per the report. Coconuts are an essential crop in India for everything from food to beauty products.

Coconut oil is particularly important and sought after. The high prices and scarce availability are leading some makers to alter their oils with other ingredients, turning customers away and hurting the industry. 

Why is the rise in coconut prices concerning?

The planet's overheating is impacting agriculture all over the world. Severe weather events such as heat waves, floods, and wildfires are happening more frequently and with greater intensity overall, often hurting crops in the process.

This year alone, drought conditions in Iraq have impacted wheat production. Flooding in Kenya did so much damage that the government had to provide food relief programs. California's excessively dry and hot weather caused cherry harvests to drop by about half.

This is playing a role in the increase in food prices, leading to more expensive groceries for locals. Despite these budget strains, you can still shop smartly at the grocery store with some planning.

The impacts can be damaging for the environment as well, as these changes disrupt ecosystems and food chains in nature.

What's being done about it?

Organizations are calling on the government to allow coconut imports for an interim period of six to 12 months to manage the current demand, retain customers, and stabilize pricing.

"We request the government to take urgent actions to address this situation by allowing imports of Copra and Coconut Oil Price for Interim Period," the president of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India, Sanjeev Asthana, said in a letter to the Government of India, per The New Indian Express.

"The current situation is impacting all the stakeholders in this sector adversely."

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